Most of the carvings shown here
are in a class by themselves and are uniquely Matt Cormons.
The "ebonies" and those of similar style were born asa
result of Matt's tendency to conserve wood. Whereas most carvers
use rectangular blocks of woodto cut
out their birds, Matt usually uses logs that he often harvests himself.
When carving ducks he cuts off the side of the log to get a flat bottom.
This leaves a long, thin, flat piece - a potential carving!
Matt loves doing these because they don't restrict his creativity; as you
will see from the photos, no two are alike.

Matt would be willing to incorporate
aspects of any you see on this page into a carving uniquely fashioned to
fit the decor of your home, and in any size. Those left natural
will costmore because there is no paint
to cover imperfections in the wood, requiring greater attentionand more time to make a more-perfect
carving. Any painted other than black (or white) willalso cost more. Generally,
for an "ebony" about a foot in length, expect to pay somewhere inthe neighborhood of $125 to
$175. Many people tell Matt he should charge more for these very
original sculptures, but because he does them so freely they don't take
as long as most of hisother carvings and they're fun
to create.

The unpainted abstract carving with theraised wing (right) is made from Paulownia
wood, a sacred wood in Japan and a wood which Matt uses more than any other.
With the raised wing a piece like thisis $225 .

The carving belowt is painted like an actual hooded merganser, but the form is abstracted.One in this style would be $275.

Red cedar is great for lining chests and is a
beautiful wood when used in certain carvings. Matt will fashion a
fine abstract carving likethe one above for $200. One like the exceptional
one below sells for $250.

A more conventional carving can also be made from red
cedar.

On these abstracts bills can
be pointed likea loon's or flattened
like a duck's, necks can belong or
short, heads can look forward or back, eyes can be added or left
out, as can head "feathers". The carvings can even be painted to
suggest actual species, as in the four shown below. Take what you
like from each carving you see on this page and give Matt a challenge!

Except for the carefully painted loon
and merganser, the carvings shown above
are in the area of $125 to $175, depending on difficulty.

Below are photos of a Pintail duck
sent to Matt by a client couple. They had seen it unfinished
in its black base coat, loved it justas it was and bought it before Matt could photograph
it (hence the clients' photos) or paint it.

The photos are included here because someone who had seen
these photos liked the "ebony" Pintail and ordered another one.

The shorebirds above, to the left and below are placed
here because they are, in a sense, also "ebonies".

Almost any carving can be painted black in the "ebony" style. They would be less
expensive since the painting is not as painstaking.

The above carving of a Willet is actually
a very detailed carving (not shown to advantagein this photo, but can be seen on the sandpiper page))
which was later painted in winter plumage. Here it is shown in its
black base coat, as is the pintail below.

"Watching for Predators"

Quite a bit of artistic license can be taken with herons,
as shown here. The head feathers are not found in the real bird.
Mounted on a metalstand,this
carving will add a touch of elegancein the right
home

A carving of this quality and originality is $450.

The photo to the right is a representation ofa Tern. It has the general
elongated shape, long bill and forked tail typical of terns.
Some clients prefer this type of sculpture sans eyes, believing that
eyes mar this "study in pure form". The sculpture is mounted
on a metal base. It isalso antiqued, but could be painted pure white, black,
or even like an actual species of tern. Different treatments
will result in very different effects. Keep in mind that any species
can be carved in abstract. $150.

The Blue jays shown to the left and below werespecial requests. They
are not meant tobe a realistic, but do capture the spirit of the species.
They are shown from different views.

There are 2 different carvings here, those on the left
(upper and lower) are the same carving. You can tell Matt which you
prefer for your carving (the neck length varies).

Imaginative carvings of this quality can be done for $275,
very reasonably priced for such original art.

The female Cardinal to the right is also
done in an abstract style. Smaller than the Blue jay,
it isalso $175

If the carving to the right looks like African art, you're
correct. It's a rendition of a Sankofa, a mythical bird that
looks back as it moves forward. Matt carved this from three drawings
made by three different people he had sent to a New York museum for that
purpose.

Sankofa is the title of an African foreign
film made in the mid-90s, one you might want to see.

A finished Sankofa of Matt's is currently
in Richmond. It is done in the "ebony" style shown in some of the
carvings above. The Roosevelt dime gives an idea of the size.